Card clothing arrangement

ABSTRACT

A card clothing arrangement, especially the flat clothing of a revolving flat card incorporating a number of flats arranged in succession. Each of the flats is provided with hooklike clothing elements which are inserted in the base of the support element or elements and each of such hook-like clothing elements possesses an inner section located at the base region and an outer section. The inner base section is inclined at an angle, the so-called penetration angle, and the outer section is inclined at an angle, the so-called comb angle, with respect to a vertical of the base plane. The invention contemplates providing a multiplicity of groups of such hook-like elements, wherein the comb angle within a group of such hook-like elements always varies in the same direction of the feed or transport of the material.

United States Patent 1191 1898 Great Britain 19/113 Graf 1 May 7, 1974 [54] CARD CLOTHING ARRANGEMENT 288,076 4/1928 Great Britain 19/114 29,143 10/1884 German 19/114 [751 Inventor Werner Franz RaPPerSwL 467,015 2/1929 German; 19/114 Switzerland [73] Assignee: Graf & Cie AG, Rapperswil, Primary ExaminerDorsey Newton Switzerland Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Edward .1. Brenner [22] Filed: May 28, 1971 21 Appl. No.: 147,740 [57] ABSTRACT A card clothing arrangement, especially the flat clothing of a revolving flat card incorporating a number of [30] Forelgn Apphcailon pnomy Data flats arranged in succession. Each of the flats is pro- June 3, 1970 Switzerland 8323/70 vided hooklike clothing elements are inserted in the base of the support element or elements [52] [1.8- Ci. and each of such hook-like clothing elements p05- sesses an inner ection located at the base region and Field of Search 234, an outer section. The inner base section is inclined at 19/115 C an angle, the so-called penetration angle, and the outer section is inclined at an angle, the so-called References Clted comb angle, with respect to a vertical of the base UNITED STATES PATENTS plane. The invention contemplates providing a multi- 693,817 2/1902 M1115 et a1. 19/113 Plicity of groups 9 l elements, wherein 922,448 5 1909 Bates et a1. 19 114 the Comb angle 1th a group of such h ok-like ele- FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS ments always varies in the same direction of the feed or transport of the material. 4,734 1881 Great Britain 19/115 8 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PATENTEDIAY 11914 31808540 SHEET 2 OF 2 PR/ 0 R ART PRIOR ART CARD CLOTHING ARRANGEMENT BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a new and improved card, clothing arrangement, especially the clothing of the flats of a revolving flat card incorporating a number of flats which are arranged in succession, each of these flats being provided with hook-like clothing elements inserted in the base of the support element or elements and wherein each hook-like element possesses an inner section at the region of the base thereof and an outer section, and further wherein the inner section is inclined at an angle, the so-called penetration angle, and the outer section is inclined at an angle, the so-called comb angle, with respect to a vertical taken with respect to the base plane.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is a primary objective of the present invention to provide a novel card clothing arrangement which improves upon the carding effect of a carding machine.

Another and more specific object of the present invention is to provide an improved construction of card clothing for a carding machine which provides for a better carding of the fibrous material being processed, and wherein the construction is highly reliable in operation, not readily subject to breakdown, economical to manufacture, and requires minimum servicing and maintenance activity.

Now, in order to implement these and still further objects of the invention, which will become more readily apparent as the desrcription proceeds, the card clothing arrangement of the previously mentioned type is manifested by the features that a multiplicity of groups of such hook-like elements are provided, and wherein the comb angle within a group of hook-like elements always varies in the same direction or sense of the feed direction of the material.

The fiber bundle or fiber flocks which are to be treated are thereby subjected to a multiplicity of repeating combing operations which follow one another in succession and with varying combing effect. This alternate action to which the fibrous material is subjected significally increases the loosening, cleaning and arranging in parallel of the fibrous material which may consist of, forinstance, any desired natural staple fibers or synthetic staple fibers, composed of natural or synthetic polymers.

The comb angle within a group preferaby decreases in the feed direction of the material, and a group of hook-like elements or hooks forms the clothing of a card flat.

Therefore, during the carding operation when using a multiplicity of flats or flat sections, at the beginning of the cooperation of the clothing of a flat with the clothing of a card cylinder, there is obtained a much more intensive combing action than during the completion of the cooperation of the clothing of the relevant flat with the clothing of the card cylinder. This alternate action, extremely advantageous for loosening and cleaning of the fibrous material and for placing the fibers into more or less parallel condition, repeatedly begins anew at each flat.

Owing to the intensive combing action at the beginning of each combing operation, husks or the like and foreign particles are torn out of the fiber bunches or fibrous material, and owing to the less intensive combing action which thereafter follows during each combing operation the fibers are placed in parallel condition.

Consequently, the fibrous material or fiber bunches are optimumly processed within the confines of the same flat. Fiber bunches orbundles which may have slipped by are always processed in the same manner by the next successive flat.

By virtue of the repeated combing with, in each case, decreasing intensity, less waste occurs and there is obtained an improved parallelism of the fibers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a card equipped with the inventive card clothing;

FIG. 2 is a schematic section of a conventional flat clothing as viewed transverse to the direction of movement or feed of the fiber material which is being treated;

FIG. 3 is a section of the conventional flat clothing of FIG. 2 as viewed in the direction of movement of the fibrous material which is being treated; and

FIGS. 4 to 7 are respective views of flats equipped with different clothing according to the teachings of the present invention and viewed transverse to the direction of movement of the fibrous material undergoing treatment, and wherein in each instance there has only been conveniently illustrated the first and last row of elements of the clothing as seen in such direction of movement;

FIG. 8 shows the embodiment of FIG. 4 in greater detail wherein the comb angle of successive hook-like elements of the flat decrease from the front to the back thereby gradually reducing the comb angle in the direction of movement of the material.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Describing now the drawings, and considering first the exemplary illustrated embodiment of revolving flat card depicted in FIG. 1, it will be seen that this piece of equipment embodies a card cylinder or roller 1 which is provided at its periphery with card clothing 2. Cylinder 1 is driven in any convenient fashion by suitable drive means; not particularly shown herein inasmuch as such are not crucial to the inventive concepts, so as to rotate with a constant rotational speed about its axis as indicated by the direction of the arrow r. At the left side of the cylinder 1 there is located a smaller pre-tearing or pre-breaking roll 3 which is suitably rotatably driven so as to rotate about its axis in the direction of the arrow s, and to the right of cylinder 1 there is located a withdrawal or take-off roll 4 driven so as to rotate about its axis in the direction of the arrow t. The pre-tearing roll 3 and the take-off roll 4 rotate in a sense which is opposite to the rotational sense of the card cylinder I.

Now throughout a portion of the periphery of cylinder 1 such cooperates with flats 5. As a matter of convenience in the illustration of FIG. 1 only a portion of the actual number of flats 5 which are used in the card have been illustrated. Each of these flats 5 is mounted at an endless conveyor element 6. Conveyor element 6 is driven at a constant speed and the flats which are mounted at a spacing from one another, asshown, at the conveyor element are successively brought into and withdrawn out of the operating zone or region of the cylinder 1. In this regard it should also be mentioned that it is possible to drive the flats 5 so that at the operating zone of the cylinder 1 they move in the direction of the arrow u and thus are moving in the same direction as the direction of movement or rotation of the cylinder l or else such flats 5 can be driven to move in the direction of the arrow v, in which case then the flats 5 move contra to the direction of movement of the cylinder 1.

Now each of the flats 5 are equipped with clothing composed of the hook-like elements 7, sometimes merely referred to herein as hooks, which at the operable zone of the cylinder 1 cooperate with the clothing 2 of such cylinder. For the sake of simplicity in illustration, there has been shown at each flat 5 onlythe two outermost hooks 7. Of course, between these outermost hooks 7 there is located a suitable number of further hooks 7 forming a group 7A.

The card cylinder 1 receives the fibers which are to be treated, for instance cotton fibers, from the pretearing roll 3 and transports such then in the direction of the arrow r into the region of the flats 5. The peripheral velocity of the card cylinder 1 is greater than the speed of movement of the flats 5. The hooks 7 attempt to hold back the loosened fibrous material, whereas the tips 2a of the teeth 2b of the cylinder clothing 2 of the card cylinder 1 loosens the individual fibers out of the fiber bunch or bundle, entrains such and transmits same to the take-off roll 4.

Having now had the benefit of the general arrangement of the carding machine equipped with the flats designed according to the teaching of the present in- -vention, there will now be explained more fully the construction of the inventive flat clothing arrangement. As best seen by referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the flats 5 of this invention, similar to the conventional flats of the prior art, generally possess a base portion or element 8 formed of fabric layers which, have been adhesively bonded to one another, and in which double hooks 7 formed of steel wire are inserted. The steel wire, which can possess any desired cross-section, is inserted in the fabric layers of the base 8 in the form of a U, as best seen by referring to FIG. 3, the base of the U-shaped wires being located in the fabric layers of the base 8 and extending parallel to the lengthwise axis of the associated flat 5. Each leg of the U-shaped wires which protrudes out of the fabric layers of the base 8 forms a hook-like element or book 7. Therefore, at each flat 5 there are arranged a number of rows of these hooks which are in alignment and spaced behind one another.

As will be readily seen by referring to FIG. 2, each hook 7 consists of an inner section 9 which is located at the side of the base and an outer section 10. Both sections 9 and 10 are flexed or bent with respect to one another and form an elbow or knee II.

The base-side section 9 of each hook 7 is inclined at an angle a, the so-called penetration or needle angle, with respect to a straight line passing through the bottom point of such section 9 and perpendicular to the base portion 8 of the corresponding flat 5, and wherein the inclination of such base-side section 9 is in the direction of flow or movement A of the material. The outer section 10 of each book 7 is inclined at an angle B, the so-called combor bending angle, with respect to a straight line extending through its base or bottom point which is disposed at the elbow or knee 11 and perpendicular to the base portion 8 of such flat 5, the inclination of the outer section 10 being opposite to the direction of flow A of the MATERIAL. material. with a conventional clothing arrangement, for instance of the type as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 of the prior art, the penetration angle a, as well as the comb angle [3, remains the same for all books. Furthermore, all of the elbows or knees ll of all of the books 7 are located at the same elevation above the plane or surface of the base portion 8.

Now, in contrast to these prior art constructions as exemplified in FIGS. 2 and 3, and as best seen by referring to FIGS. 4 to 8 inclusive, with the clothing arrange ment of the present invention the penetration angle and/or comb angle vary. Furthermore, in those instances where a hook designed according to the teachings of the invention is provided with an elbow or knee the height of such elbow with respect to the base portion 8, if desired, can vary for the various books. The extreme end of all books are advantageously located at the same height above the base portion 8 and in one plane.

Now, in conjunction with FIGS. 4 to 8 inclusive there will be hereinafter described different possible embodiments of clothing as designed in accordance with the inventive concepts. As a matter of simplifcation and convenience the same reference characters as previously employed will be used for the same conponents or portions. Concerning the penetration angle a and the combor bending angle B the definitions already given above are here applicable. Likewise, it is to be again assumed that the flow or feed of the material is vin the direction of the arrow A. To simplify the illustration of FIGS. 4 to 8, in each case only the first and last hook row of a flat as seen in the direction of flow of the material have been shown. Of course, between the two hook rows which have been indicated there are located a multiplicity of further hook rows.

Now the various flats 5 illustrated in the respective embodiments of FIGS. 4 to 8 likewise embody a base portion or base member 8 formed of adhesively bonded fabric layers into which there are inserted or embedded, in the above-described manner, the double-hooks 7 formed of steel wire. The first hooks viewed in the direction of material flow have been designated by reference characer 7' and the last hooks viewed in the direction of material flow have been designated by reference character 7, and wherein it is here mentioned that as above the direction of material flow or feed direction of the material has been indicated by reference character A.

With the embodiment depicted in FIG. 4 and FIG. 8 the penetration angle a of all books 7, 7' of the flat 5 remain constant, and the base-side section 9 of all such books are inclined by the same amount in the direction of flow A of the material. On the other hand, the comb angle varies in the direction of flow A of the material between B and B, and thus, in the flow direction of the material either becomes continuously or stepwise smaller, so that the outer sections 10 of the book 7' are more markedly inclined towards the material flow directionthan the sections 10 of the hook 7.

Now, with the embodiment of FIG. 5 the penetration angle varies in the direction of material flow A between a and a and, therefore, becomes either continuously or stepwise larger in the direction of material flow so that the base-side sections 9' of the hook 7 are inclined less pronouncedly in the direction of material flow than the base-side sections 9 of the hook 7. Since the angle between the inner sections 9, 9 and the outer sections 10, 10' remains constant. The comb angle varies between B' and B in such a manner that the outer sections 10 of all hooks of a flat 5 are inclined by a gradually smaller amount towards the direction of material flow The embodiment of FIG. 6 is a combination of the angle variations discussed above in conjunction with FIGS. 4 and 5, so that in this case the penetration angle as well as the comb angle varies in the manner described above for the embodiments of FIGS. 4 and 5 by virtue of the measures undertaken therewith.

With the embodiment of FIG. 7 the penetration angle a is maintained constant and the comb angle B is varied in the manner of the embodiment discussed in conjunction with FIG. 4. Additionally, the height of the knee 11 with respect to the base portion or base member 8, which knee in each case is formed by the flexing of both sections 9 and 10 of each such hook with regard to one another, becomes either continuously or stepwise smaller in the direction of flow A of the material.

Hence, advantageously at the beginning of the operable interengagement of the clothing of a flat with the clothing of the card cylinder the combing effect of the clothing of a flat is large and reduces in the direction of material flow. All flats'of a card are preferably of the same construction so that an alternate action is exerted upon the material which is being processed and which is extremely favorable for the loosening, cleaningand 'parallelization capability of the carding machine.

As a modification of the illustrated embodiments it would also be possible to provide within a given flat two or more similar-type or similar groups of hooks, of which each then would be similar to the hook groups depicted in conjunction with the respective embodiments of FIGS. 4 to 8. The same is also true with respect to a hook carrier of the endless-type construction. Also in that case, in order to obtain the alternate action discussed above, the individual flats could be provided with hook groups according to FIGS. 4 to 8 which follow one another and all possess the same or essentially the same construction.

It would also be conceivable to increase the penetration angle and/or the comb angle. and/or the knee height of the hooks in the direction of flow of the material.

Furthermore, for certain fiber treatments it may be of advantage to also vary the penetration angle and/or the comb angle in a direction transverse to the feed or conveying direction of the material.

Finally, it is here mentioned that the penetration angle can vary in a range of approximately 5 to 30 and the comb angle in a range of approximately 0 to 35 for the various embodiments herein disclosed.

While there is shown and described present preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto but may be otherwise variously embodied and practiced within the scope of the following claims. Accordingly,

What is claimed is:

1. In a card clothing arrangement for treating material moving in a given direction, especially the clothing of a flat of a revolving flat card, which includes a number of flats arranged in succession, each flat embodying a base portion and a multiplicity of hook-like clothing elements inserted at said base portion, each hook-like element incorporating an inner section disposed at the side of the base portion and an outer section, said outer section being inclined opposite the direction of movement of the material and at an angle with respect to said inner section thereby forming a knee and defining a.comb angle with respect to a perpendicular taken with respect to a plane containing the base portion, the improvement in accordance with which the comb angle of successive hook-like elements from the front to the back of each of such flats decreases thereby gradually reducing the comb angle in each of such flats in the direction of movement of the material.

2. The card clothing arrangement as defined in claim 1, wherein said inner section is inclined at an angle defining a penetration angle with respect to said perpendicular and the comb angle is equal to the penetration angle.

3. The card clothing arrangement asdefined in claim 1, wherein both sections of the hook-like elements are flexed with respect to one another and form a knee, and wherein the height of the knee with respect to the base portion of the hook-like elements within a group of such hook-like elements varies in the direction of movement of the material.

4. The card clothing arrangement as defined in claim I, wherein each of the flats is essentially of the same construction.

5. The card clothing arrangement as defined in claim I, wherein the outer section of each hook-like element is inclined against the direction of movement of the material and the inner section of such hook-like element is inclined in the direction of movement of the material.

6. The card clothing arrangement as defined in claim I, wherein the hook-like elements are formed as substantially U-shaped flexed double hooks having protruding legs defining the individual hook-like elements and further having an interconnecting web, said interconnecting web being embedded in the associated base portion.

7. The card clothing arrangement as defined in claim I, wherein the comb angle with respect to each hooklike element varies in a range of about 0 to 35.

8. The card clothing arrangement as defined in claim 1, wherein said inner section is inclined at an angle defining a penetration angle with respect to said perpendicular and the penetration angle varies in a range of about 5 to 30. 

1. In a card clothing arrangement for treating material moving in a given direction, especially the clothing of a flat of a revolving flat card, which includes a number of flats arranged in succession, each flat embodying a base portion and a multiplicity of hook-like clothing elements inserted at said base portion, each hook-like element incorporating an inner section disposed at the side of the base portion and an outer section, said outer section being inclined opposite the direction of movement of the material and at an angle with respect to said inner section thereby forming a knee and defining a comb angle with respect to a perpendicular taken with respect to a plane containing the base portion, the improvement in accordance with which the comb angle of successive hook-like elements from the front to the back of each of such flats decreases thereby gradually reducing the comb angle in each of such flats in the direction of movement of the material.
 2. The card clothIng arrangement as defined in claim 1, wherein said inner section is inclined at an angle defining a penetration angle with respect to said perpendicular and the comb angle is equal to the penetration angle.
 3. The card clothing arrangement as defined in claim 1, wherein both sections of the hook-like elements are flexed with respect to one another and form a knee, and wherein the height of the knee with respect to the base portion of the hook-like elements within a group of such hook-like elements varies in the direction of movement of the material.
 4. The card clothing arrangement as defined in claim 1, wherein each of the flats is essentially of the same construction.
 5. The card clothing arrangement as defined in claim 1, wherein the outer section of each hook-like element is inclined against the direction of movement of the material and the inner section of such hook-like element is inclined in the direction of movement of the material.
 6. The card clothing arrangement as defined in claim 1, wherein the hook-like elements are formed as substantially U-shaped flexed double hooks having protruding legs defining the individual hook-like elements and further having an interconnecting web, said interconnecting web being embedded in the associated base portion.
 7. The card clothing arrangement as defined in claim 1, wherein the comb angle with respect to each hook-like element varies in a range of about 0* to 35*.
 8. The card clothing arrangement as defined in claim 1, wherein said inner section is inclined at an angle defining a penetration angle with respect to said perpendicular and the penetration angle varies in a range of about 5* to 30*. 